Charles Bebee June 20, 1924
The Democrat American (Salisaw)

COTTNER RETURNS TO ' ARKANSAS FOR TRIAL Alleged Bank Bandit Caught. Near Muskogee Saturday; Lived Near' Vian ' • Charley Cottner, alleged member of the band of bank bandits' which looted ,the Prairie Grove, Arkansas bank three weeks ago and escaped with $3000.00 in loot was captured at' a rodeo show near Muskogee Saturday afternoon, by Sheriff_ John _ E... Johnston, Johnston, Undersheriff Bert Cotton and Deputy-sheriff Roy Cheek of. this county. ^Several days ago Sheriff Johnston was^tTpped off that Cottner was a member of'the alleged bank bandit gang and that he would participate in the rodeo show^near Muskogee Saturday. Saturday. ;_ — Cotnfcr is a Vian youth and is the son of John Cotner a well known citizen citizen of. the west end. He was at Muskogee Muskogee to ride a few steers for the boys and it is said he had mounted a Texas longhorn, when- he spied the sheriff and his deputies in a drive towards him—then. Cotner left the steer and made one straight dive for the crowd in an attempt to escape, but John E. and.his boya were some foot racers themselves and. after a chase which thrilled hundreds of rodeo fans he was captured. According ot Deputy Sheriff Cheek the local sheriff's office advised the oficials of the Arkansas bank that they believed they had located the man who was a member of the alleg- e'dnbaWlooterTand a'skel ffiat~ffieT r officials officials come to Muskogee to identify their suspect—but before Sheriff Johnston had pointed out their suspect suspect the cashier of the Prairie Grove, bank spied Cotner and said, "That man over there on the sorrel horse is one of the men who looted our bank," and the man on the sorrel, horse was Cotner, and also the suspect which Sheriff Johnston had-in mind. It is said the officials of Sulphur Springs, Arkansas also identified Cotner as one of the alleged bandits, which looted the bank at that place several months ago. In an attempt to escape the crafty sheriff and his, deputies, Cotner was slightly wounded in the leg from a bullet from the officers, who fired at his heels to halt their man, but instead Cotner picked up speed and was going a fast gait when he was finally overhauled. overhauled. In an interview with the alleged alleged bandit when asked why he at- some whiskey in the car and thought the officers were after me on that account account and I was trying to destroy the whiskey." Cotner was willing to return to Arkansas without requisition papers and he was taken to Prairie Grove Monday evening by'the Arkansas authorities. authorities. They were accompanied as far as Fort Smith by Undersheriff Cotton and Deputy Sheriff Cheek. tempted to escape he replied', "I

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